Pennsylvania Businesses Accused of Selling Homes They Never Owned, Resulting in a Lawsuit

A few Pennsylvania residents may see justice served after Attorney General Dave Sunday filed a lawsuit against business entities involved in a rent-to-own scheme. An October 2026 press release was shared by the Office of the Attorney General, describing what went down.

According to the attorney general’s office, Sean Walters, Charles Spencer, and their businesses are accused of targeting homeowners and first-time buyers as part of the process. The men stand accused of entering into arrangements to purchase homes from people who were looking to sell their property quickly. They then allegedly used these homes to sign contracts with first-time homebuyers under the guise of setting them up in a rent-to-own situation.

Instead, Sunday says that the men collected rent money while defaulting on the mortgage, leaving the tenants with nothing to show for all of their payments and wrecking the credit of the homeowners who were trying to sell their properties. 

“These defendants made the American dream of homeownership a living nightmare for unsuspecting home sellers and buyers,” Sunday said in the statement. 

The Homes Were Never Owned by the Defendants

According to the press release, the homes never belonged to Walters and Spencer. Instead, the two men and their business entities never finished the purchase or obtained ownership. 

Additionally, the Office of the Attorney General alleges that the men rented the properties out to would-be buyers, telling them that they could purchase the property through a rent-to-own agreement. “The defendants were deceptive and predatory, choosing homeowners who were under pressure to move quickly,” Sunday said in a statement. “This predatory conduct will not be tolerated in the Commonwealth, which is why our Bureau of Consumer Protection is taking this action.”

There was no information shared about when the men would appear in court, but the statement did say that Sunday had requested an ex parte preliminary injunction, which was granted by the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. The injunction will halt all eviction and legal proceedings, while also requiring the defendants to pay the mortgage and homeowner association payments. 

How to Protect Yourself From Rental (and Homebuying) Scams

Unfortunately, rental scams aren’t uncommon. However, Zillow says there are steps you can take to protect yourself if you’re considering any type of rental agreement, particularly rent-to-own. The real estate company suggests looking out for certain red flags, like deals that sound too good to be true. Additionally, it says that pressure to send information or money before you even see the property is another sign to look out for.

Zillow says hopeful homeowners should make sure that they are doing their due diligence before entering into these types of agreements, and advises people to verify that the listing is legitimate, confirm the identity of the contact who has listed the property, and visit the location in person before exchanging any money.

While there are a few other steps people can take to protect themselves, these action items will certainly help give would-be buyers a little more peace of mind as they begin considering whether a rental or rent-to-own setup is right for them.